Mayan Mythology: Solar & Lunar Passing
by CRYSTAL2324
Summary: I typed this up for school a couple years ago. I just found it and I wanted to submit it. It's about a young, neglected Mayan girl that is given a task by her favorite goddess so her parents will notice her.


Mayan Mythology

In 1992 Natalie Jones & Jay Smith were hiking in the ancient Mayan ruins when Natalie tripped. She fell down a semi-deep hole, uninjured, and when Jay came down to see if she was all right, they explored the hole a little more. They found themselves walking down a corridor that led to a room with tiles that were painted to show scenes of what appears to be an old Mayan myth. It has been concluded that the myth was to explain why there were solar & lunar eclipses. It has been translated into English. It is about a lonely young girl named Izilah. She was neglected by her mother, and her father was never really around, nor did he care for his wife or his daughter. The only time Izilah ever felt like she was close to someone was when she praying to the moon goddess, Ixchel. This is the complete myth of it;

"Oh, great moon Goddess! Please hear my plea! My mother is always ignoring me, and my father is never there when my time is needed for his comfort! All I ask, my great goddess Ixchel, Is for something, a miracle, a quest, a job that is vital to be completed, oh anything that might make my mother & my father start knowing of my existence! I have been praying for something to happen, and now I ask once more for you to consider my plea. Please your greatness, help me in my time of need." For the 5th time in the night after 4 months, Izilah was still trying to ask for a chance to prove herself to her parents that she was special. Out of all the times that she begged the goddess, she never had one chance to prove herself. Izilah sighed a quiet one before leaving, disappointed that her pleas would never be hear. She, However, was wrong.

Ixchel looked down at Izilah with a small grin," now, my child, you must be patient. Your task shall be coming soon. I know you are smart enough to solve the conflict, my child. Just, be, patient." Ixchel's plan was set, and she was hoping that her favorite mortal would be able to solve the problem.

The next morning, Izilah woke up to a shriek. She recognized it as her mother's and ran to see what was wrong. When Izilah got to the fields where her mother was, she saw other farmers and merchants chatting and arguing about what happen. Izilah saw that almost all of the crops had been burned, wilted, whatever the case it was all do to one little thing, the sun was too intense. The merchants and farmers were arguing about what to do, about which god or goddess to ask for help from, anything to help the food.

Izilah looked up at the sky and heard a slight whisper in the wind, "Izilah," it began, "Izilah, this is your task. You, my young child, you must find a solution. When you have found an answer, pray to the gods for help to complete the thought. I know you will be able to do it, youngling. I will help anyway that I can. I am Ixchel after all. I will talk to the gods when you need items for you solution, I will order the sun to move if you wish, I will order the entire sky to leave the Earth if that is needed. Just remember that if you ever need my help, Izilah, then just pray." Soon the voice faded and Izilah just stood dumbfounded.

"Thank you, my goddess. I won't let you down, I swear that I find an answer to this difficult task!" exclaimed Izilah as she held her hands up as if praising for the gods. It took Izilah a few days to think of an answer to the problem, until; she got a plan that just couldn't fail. Izilah waited for the moon to rise before praying to Ixchel. Soon enough, she heard her prayer and listened to Izilah's thought. At first a bit doubtful, she soon realized that it might have been crazy enough to work.

Ixchel brought Izilah to the gods to discuss a deal among them. "OH, mighty ones, me and the other mortals ask for your help in our desperate time of need. Our crops have dried out, and even though rain continues to fall on them, they don't appear to be lifting much. This happens because the rain does help a little, but the sun is always still beating down on the crops. Only a few clouds pass over the sun, but still it barely helps. Oh, mighty gods, here my solution. I believe that the moon should go between the Earth and the Sun in a perfect straight line, I call this a solar passing. The time or difference of each passing does not matter, as long as it happens then it might help enough."

The gods heard Izilah speak this and pondered on this. Many thought that this was a great idea. "But, the mood can't always be passing each week, or it will surely melt due to the heat."

"Like I said before, the schedule doesn't matter. If the passing's are not too close to each other in time periods, but also not too far away, then maybe, just maybe it will work."

The same God interrupted, still concerned, " Even if the times are random, the moon would still probably melt. How do you think that this can be prevented?"

"I thought about that. If there could also be a time, like the moon being in a straight line between the earth and sun, that the sun, earth, and moon are in a straight line once more. The differences being that this passing, which I call a lunar passing, that sequence is sun, earth, than moon. The earth's shadow would be cast on the moon therefore cooling it from the sun's intense rays. The other difference being that, since the moon does regularly go towards the sun, without it being a solar passing, that a lunar passing happens slightly more often than solar passings do."

This time, there were no interruptions. Then, a burly god signaled Ixchel to lead Izilah out for a moment so they would discuss it. After several minutes Izilah was called back in. "We have been discussing your solution, young one, and we feel that it might work. We will arrange for the moon to be arranged in your said position. You must go now." With that, Izilah was teleported back to Earth, as she looked up at the sky and saw a black sphere covering the sun.

Izilah was speechless. Then the silence was broken as she smiled and said, "Wondrous." When she got back to her house, her mother greeted her and gave her some well-made food. Izilah's father was even there! _Thank you so much Ixchel!_ Thought Izilah.

From that day on, Izilah was called a hero for her intelligence on how the crops were restored. She also continues to pray to Ixchel.


End file.
